Business and Economics Journal

Oswal, Bus Eco J 2014, 5:3

http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Research Article

Open Access

Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study

Sunny Oswal*
Faculty of Marketing and Operations Nmims University, Mumbai, India
*Corresponding

author: Dr. Sunny Oswal, Faculty of Marketing and Operations Nmims University, Mumbai, India, Tel: +374 10 23-72-61; E-mail:

sunny.oswal@nmims.edu
Received date: May 13, 2014, Accepted date: August 10, 2014, Published date: August 20, 2014
Copyright: 2014 Oswal S. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract
The writing instruments market in India is a very lucrative market for various brands worldwide simply because of
its sheer size. This market is estimated at 1600 to 2400 mn pieces a year and Rs 22 bn in value. A number of Indian
as well as International players are in the race to tap this market to the fullest.
This paper is the result of a through field study done over a period of 11 months. Most of the data in this paper
comes from primary sources that include consumer surveys, retail surveys, lab experiments and expert opinions.
The research Methodology is detailed in subsequent chapters.
This study primarily aims at mapping the Indian stationary market to achieve its objectives. Objectives that
include gauging market from a macro perspective, analyzing the brand preferences, the consumer buying behavior,
retailer BTL activities etc. The ultimate objective of the study is to study the user acceptance of various parameters
by mapping this market.
This Research Paper is aimed at presenting the findings of a thorough primary and secondary work done to
explore the market acceptance for a new entrant. Also, this study throws light on the Consumer behavior and retail
(POP) factor for writing instruments industry.

Objectives of the project:

Major objectives of the project are as follows.
To study the overall writing instruments market (Market Overview, Market Size, Market Share)
Gauge the saturation levels and user acceptance in this sector
Competitor analysis
To gauge promotion and distribution strategies
To analyse the retail market inclusive of office supplies
To study the consumer tastes & preference
Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
Detailed segmentation of international and local products
Historic volumes and values, company and brand market shares
The findings of this research are aimed at providing a thorough insight into the stationary market in India
which can be used by various manufacturers/brands rather than establishing a relationship amongst variables. The
data and findings with respect to the consumer surveys, retailer surveys and expert opinions are tabulated in form
of charts and graphs.
Keywords: Stationary; Writing instruments; POPs; E purchase;
Marketing Mix; Retailing; Benchmarking; Multi criteria Decision
making; Electre1 Model

Introduction
The market for writing instruments in India is estimated at 1600 to
2400 million pieces a year. The total market for writing instruments is

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

estimated at Rs 22 billion in value and is growing at around 8 to 10%

annually. The informal sector's contribution to the market is placed at
over Rs 6.6 billion or 30% of the total market by value and 65% by
quantum. While by numbers the low-end market accounts for 90%,
the premium and top-end segment accounts for less than a percent.
The balance is accounted for by the moderately priced mid-priced
products [1].

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 2 of 11
The Writing Instruments sector today has become more of thinking
process of new fads and development as this is considered to be the
only key to its progress. A sector which was once a prerogative of a few
has today become a highly cluttered market. Even though in todays
advanced age where internet and cell phones dominate the market still
there is no substitute for writing instruments. Where every other
industry has grown this industry has also not restricted to growth. This
industry is growing at 8% to 10% p.a.
Major Indian players in the ballpoint pen market are Cello, Lexi,
Reynolds, Luxor, Flair, Montex, Todays, Linc and so on. Out of these,
Cello, Lexi and Reynolds have a major share of the market. Cello has a
wide range of pens that cater to the needs of all types of consumers.
Within Cello, Cello Gripper is the one that sells the most. Other ones
are Maxwriter. Technotip, Pinpoint, Finegrip, Trica, etc.. Lexi 5 is the
bestselling brand from Lexi. Its Rs 5/- MRP makes it one of the most
desired brands among the consumers. Reynolds, too, has a substantial
share of the market. Reynolds 045, 040, Jetter are the ones that are
doing well for Reynolds, with 045 selling the most.
An average monthly sale of a retailer in Mumbai ranges between Rs
1 Rs 5000. However, it varies from A Class to C Class outlets. Major
BTL promotions in theses outlets include posters, dispensers, danglers,
wobblers, banners, dealer boards etc.. Out of the total pens sold in an
outlet, 75% are of blue ink and 23% are of black ink. Moreover, fine
impression constitutes 66% of the market and bold impression
constitutes 34%.
Pen is a commodity product. Hence, price becomes an important
differentiator. Price is an important attribute that influences buying
decision. Consumers too, rank price as second most important
attribute when choosing a pen, the first being colour of the ink. Third
and fourth places go to brand name and looks respectively. One can
easily infer that brand loyalty is low in this category. This is also
supported by the fact that majority of the consumers buy another pen
in case their desired brand is not available at the retailer. Also,
majority of the consumers do not remember any communication of
the brand they use. This shows that there is a very low consumer
involvement. Thus, ATL promotion is not as effective. Impulse
purchase is high in this category. Thus, BTL promotion should be
more focused on.
Brand presence at the retail counter too, is imperative. Availability
and visibility at the counter is the key. Retailer push decides the fate of
many brands. Hence, trade promotion occupies a very important
position. Schemes like 1 unit free on purchasing 10 units are common.
Other things that are offered to retailers include quantity purchase
schemes, free movie tickets etc.. Apart from this, some brands like
Cello give margins as high as 40% on MRP to the retailers [2].

Methodology
The above objectives were achieved by an exploratory research. The
research consisted of both primary and secondary study. The primary
data collection was achieved by interviewing the retailers and the
consumers. The interviews were conducted through one to one
structured questionnaire administration. In Table 1 and 2, Sample size
of consumers and retailers are shown.
Secondary data was collected from various sources including CMIE
(Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy) reports, industry journals,
magazines, articles and industry websites. Geographical coverage for
the primary data collection was Mumbai city.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Sample size

Total

A Class

B Class

C Class

500

130

250

120

Table 1: Sample size (retailers).

Sample size

Total

Scholastic

Teens

Adults

300

80

120

100

Table 2: Sample size (consumers).

Sample:
To determine the sample size the following formula would be used
n=(z/p)2(1-),
n=the required sample size
p=the desired maximum discrepancy (i.e. 5%)
=the population proportion
z=corresponds to the appropriate z value from the normal
distribution for the desired confidence interval,
for 95% confidence interval=1.96
for 99% confidence interval=2.58
Since the population proportion () is not know some estimate or
range of estimates is required.
So if believe population proportion is about 50% and wish 95%
confidence intervals which will be no more than 5% of true
population proportion,
n=(1.96/0.05)2 0.5(1-0.5)=384
The required sample size will increase if more precise estimates are
required. (i.e. 2% would require 2401 subjects) or if a 99%
confidence interval is desired [3].
The sample size will also change depending on the population
proportion as shown in the Table 3 below.
Population Proportion

95%
Interval

Confidence 99%
Interval

0.01

15 !!

0.1

138

239

0.25

288

499

0.5

384

666

0.75

288

499

0.9

138

239

Confidence

Table 3: Sample Size Required for 5%.

Two things can be seen from the table. First is that the sample size
will be largest when the estimated population proportion is closest to
50%. Second is that the formula does not work for very small (or very
large) proportions. As a general rule Writing an Effective Research
Proposal 28 of thumb, the sample size multiplied by the estimated
population proportion should be at least 5. If it is smaller than advice

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 3 of 11
from a statistician should be sought for calculating the necessary
sample size.
For example, 15* 0.01=0.15.
In the sample size section, the investigator should provide the
numbers that were used in calculating the sample size.
SIZE: (Total 300) ---- Consumers
(Total 500) ----- Retailers & Distributors
The research would comprise of probability sampling. The samples
will be segregated in strata. A equal number of samples will be selected
from each strata to form the final cluster. In this sense it would be a
combination of Stratified and Random Sampling.

Data Collection
Data Collection will comprises of majorly primary means. It makes
use of field surveys (Consumer & Retailer), Lab experiments and
expert opinions. It also makes use of secondary means for data
collection [4].
Publications, books, journals etc would form a part of secondary
data collected.
Ho: There is complete saturation for the writing instruments
market in India.
H1: There is an arena for the acceptance of new players in the
writing instruments market in India.
The Indian market for Writing Instruments is huge. It consists of
consumers belonging to various classes and categories who respond
differently to various stimuli. The findings of the research throw light
on how various brands have garnered their share in a cluttered market,
consumers purchase behavior to marketing stimuli, attributes adopted
by marketers to get their share etc. The findings confirm the alternate
hypothesis and stress upon the fact that there is enough acceptance for
new players in this market provided they do a correct Market
Mapping. This paper thrives on a massive primary data based market
mapping done for the Indian market.

Literature Review
Saunak Das (2012) conducted a study on Study of Marketing Mix &
Penetration, Consumer Buying Behavior, Effectiveness of Exclusive
Business Outlet in Indian Pen Industry. He mentions that there is a
strong correlation between the demographic profile of the consumer
and his purchase behavior. He mentions the marketing mix strategies
that the companies adopt for varied consumer profiles.
Anurag Kumar (2013) surveys the Indian Stationary Market from
an entrepreneurial point of view. He mentions that there is quite scope
of development for stationary market in India. His work clearly
emphasizes on the feasibility and the growth of this industry.
Kirubaap (2013) conducted an empirical study on the stationary
industry in India majorly from a consumer brand association point of
view. He carries out a thorough segmentation and formulates brand
association vis--vis these segmentation.
There have been a limited number of studies conducted for this
market. Most of them focus on the marketers strategies and marketing
mix. This study provides a logical continuation by providing insights
pertaining to the consumers end. It conducts a thorough market

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

mapping by way of primary research conducted at Indias major

metros.

Market Overview
Writing instruments industry data
With the opening up of the economy, the top, and not only
premium products, entered the market while high priced ones are
being sold in small, unassuming stores. You think of any global brand
and its here. These include designer and status symbol pens, be it
Parker, Mont Blanc, Cartier [5].
The global market for writing instruments is estimated at Rs 50000
cr per annum. However, the Indian market is much lower in
comparison. The market for writing instruments in India is estimated
at 1200 mn to 1400mn pieces a year. By value, the total market for
writing instruments is estimated at Rs.22 bn and is growing at 8% to
10% annually. Thus, Indias share is just 4% of the global market. In
comparison, Chinas share is around 10%. The Indian pen
manufacturers are exporting part of their output.
The unorganised sectors contribution to the market is placed at Rs.
5 bn or 25% of the total market by value. The contribution of the
organized market is Rs 1500 cr or 75% of the total market as shown in
Table 4.
Segment

Share (%)

Organized

75

Unorganized

25

Table 4: The organized and unorganized markets.

Total Pens Market (1500 cr)
Rs 15 & LESS 60%

Rs 15-100, 25%

Rs 100 & more, 15%

Rs 900 cr

Rs 375 cr

Rs 225 cr

Table 5: Total pens market.

Type

Share (%)

Ball pens

62

Gel/roller pens

22

Mechanical pencils

Premium pencils

Fountain pens

Others

Table 6: Type of pens and percentage of shares.

Pens costing Rs 15 & less account for 60% of the market. In value
terms this share is Rs 900 cr. A major share of this segment is held by
pens costing Rs 5 & less. Rs 15 Rs 100 priced pens constitute 25% of
the market in value it is Rs 375 cr. Premium pens (Rs 100 & above)
constitute 15% of the market. This comes to RS 225 CR. The above
details are shown in Tables 5 and 6.

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 4 of 11
While taking into account these segments, Indias literacy rate
should be kept at the back of ones mind. In Indias case many of the
above segments are too small to be catered to. The usage norms differ
from function to function; even as it does from one person to another,
and certainly from one segment to another. The students account for
55 to 60% of the off take followed by executives at 20-25% and other
multilevel users accounting for 15-20% of the market.
The use of computers and advanced telecommunication equipment
is reducing the usage of writing instruments. As a consequence, while
rising literacy levels and economic activity (with a high growth rate)
should increase the demand phenomenally, the increase will be limited
and will remain moderate.

Major players
Figure 1: Writing Instruments Market Segmentation.
The ball pens market is about 62% of the total writing instruments
market. It can be observed in Figure 1. Out of this 75% is organized
and 25% is unorganized. The growth rates reached the peak in
1997-2001. The growth rates during this period were about 10.8% but
since then the growth rates have declined to about 8% [6].

Figure 1.1: Market growth rates.

About 60% of the revenues of the pen industry come from pens
with a price range of up to Rs.15. A small percentage of pens are priced
in the range of Rs.100 to Rs. 300 and miniscule of the market is
contributed by the super-premium segment in which the price tag
goes to as high as Rs. 100000 while the market for lower price range
(up to Rs. 15) is growing at a rate of 8% to 10% annually. There is,
nevertheless, in the recent period a price up gradation in the evidence
at the low end. As the market is developing in the new ambience, the
products are getting upgraded. Figure 1.1 shows Market growth rates
[7].
The market is basically segmented into those required by
Scholastic (primary & secondary school going)
Adolescent (graduate, post graduate , professional courses)
Frequent users (in offices, commercial and public establishments)
Occasional users (like a multitude of housewives and literate
manual workers)
Professional
Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

The major players in India include Linc pen & plastics, GM Pens
International, Flair pen, todays writing products, Rotomac pens, Add
pens India, Schefield, Stic pens, Cello, Luxar writing instruments,
Montex and Lexi international [8].
The 50:50 joint venture of flair and rotomac has entered into a
technical collaboration with Pentel corporation of Japan to form the
Indo-Japan pen manufacturing company. It will manufacture pens in
the range of Rs. 15 to Rs. 115 under Pentel brand. It is for the first time
that Pentel has entered into collaboration with any company outside
Japan. It has twenty fully owned subsidiaries the world over, and six
factories in France, Taiwan, china, Uruguay and US. It sells pens in
104 countries. The Japanese principals may also start outsourcing
components from India since the costs are much less here. This is
quite understandable as pentel is finding it difficult to carry on
manufacturing in Japan at viable costs [9].
Flair pens had introduced Flair sporty---a range of plastic pens
including ball points, gel ink, roller, micro tip and sketch pens.
German soft ink (used for the first time in plastic pens) and 0.5mm
extra fine swiss tip is a common feature of all flair sporty pens to
ensure smooth flow. Packed in trendy green and yellow, flair sporty
range comprises fashion, cyclone ball pens, micro ball and trio pen
sets, in metallic, pastel and fluorescent colours.
Gillette, owner of parker pens, seems to have decided to make India
its export hub, as the cost of production is the lowest in India
compared to other countries. It is preparing to launch its premium
range of pens waterman in India. Gillette is selling its 50% holding in
Luxar writing instruments to Newell Rubermaid of the US as part of
the latters global takeover of the stationery products group of Gillette
Company. Newell Rubbermaid is also buying out Gillettes equity
shareholding in two smaller manufacturersLP pens and Hi-Line
pens.
The JV between Luxar and Gillette has brought a host of
international brands. Luxor has ventured into the arena of customized
pens. Its clientele include BPCL, HLL, Dabur, AmEx, HP, ICICI,
McDonald, Wipro, LML, Samsung, Gillette, Ranbaxy and LG.
Corporate gift segment in India is said to be worth a billion, growing
at 15%. There is a 50% export obligation for manufacture of writing
instruments for luxar [10].
Linc had targeted turnover of Rs. 800 mn at the end of 2000-01.
Elaborate plans included launching of at least one new product every
quarter, launch of other stationary products by following the existing
distribution channels, and via capacity expansion, greater exploration
of export possibilities.

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 5 of 11
The company plans to increase exports two-fold in 2001-02 from
the years level of Rs. 35 mn and expects corporate sales to double. In
the domestic market the company targets a sale of 4000,000 a day from
the existing 150,000 pieces. As part of its cost cutting exercise, a
machine was imported from Switzerland to bring down costs by 25%.
The recently launched Tip Top pens were selling at the rate of 3 mn a
month. The company launched Uniball-165 eye needle point, a roller
pen. The UB-165 is available in blue, black and red ink colour and is
priced Rs.45/-.
Modi senator (India), a 50:50 joint venture between the UK Modi
group and Merz & Krell of Germany launched its Senator range of
writing instruments. The company has introduced 13 models in the
ball pen range. All are available in different colour combinations. In
the second phase, the entire Senator range, including metal body ball
pens, fountain pens and markers will be offered to the Indian
consumers through retail outlets.
Add pens, with its tie up with ohto of Japan and Donga of korea is a
Rs.1080 mn company in the writing instruments segments. Add Gel is
emerging as a prominent brand in the industry with Add Rolled Gold,
PG-500, Add Diamond Roller gaining prominence in the market
place. In fact the company, has emerged as the largest manufacturer of
gel based pens in India. Add Gel Achiever is its latest offering [11].
Todays Writing Products, a Rs. 620 mn company in a tie up with
Mon Ami of Korea has some 50 models in the market. The break up of
its product portfolio includes ball pens (60%), mechanical pens (9%),
premium pens (9%), stationary (8%), gel pens and roller pens (20%).
Other sundry items make up for the remaining 4% of the inventory of
its product range. Todays Lee Kushboo and stepney pens have been
some of its prominent products. The latest is Liquid Express, receiving
high profile media campaigning. Todays climate control pen claims to
have a special climate controlled German ink which can perform in all
kinds of climates ranging from extreme cold to blazing hot
temperatures [12].
On the premium segment, Parker, the ever popular and highly
admired pen, had introduced its Sonnet range with prices starting
from Rs 800 and ending way upto Rs 7500. Cartiers pantherline with
its Must I and Must II brands also had made token entries at price tags
ranging between Rs 7000 and Rs 32000. Mont Blanc, Pierre Cardin
and Cara DAche are functional (with gold nibs and silver or platinum
bodies) and works of art or jewellery (with diamond studded clips).
Mont Banc price ranges from Rs 5000 to a staggering Rs 450000.
The global brands have found their way into the Indian market
either through distribution tie ups or have entered into manufacturing
arrangements with Indian producers. Pierre Cardin has a marketing &
manufacturing tie up with flair pens. Parker had a 50:50 joint venture
between Gillette and Luxar Pen co.
Carab DAche, the well known swiss brand, has a marketing tie up
with Mumbai based trading house, Sigem. Likewise, Ravissant
Boutique has been roped in by Cartier as its exclusive licensee in India.
It proposes to launch its own boutique in Mumbai and then move on
to other regions. Mont Blanc, the german major, has a tie up with
Rajkot based Entrack group for distribution in India.
A big gain of the opening up of the market and product
improvement (also brand building) has been the expansion in exports
while the domestic market is impacted by imports. The exports have
been increasing steeply. Another big change is the relative contraction

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

of the small and informal producers which thrived under protection

policy for the small scale sector.

Writing instruments
Table 7 shows year and mn no.
Year

mn no.

1990-91

365

1991-92

395

1992-93

430

1993-94

475

1994-95

520

1995-96

570

1996-97

625

1997-98

695

1998-99

775

1999-00

860

2000-01

960

2001-02

1046

2002-03

1138

2003-04

1236

2004-05

1340

2005-06

1450

2006-07

1522

2007-08

1635

2008-09

1750

2009-10

1860

2010-11

1974

2011-12

2010

2012-13

2248

2013-14

2397

2014-15

2490

Table 7: Demand : Past & Future (NCAER 2013).

Retail Survey Analysis

The categorization was as follows: A Class-10, B Class-76, C
Class-122. The retailers were probed based on a one to one structured
questionnaire interview. The results of the survey are depicted in the
following Figure 1.2.

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 6 of 11

Figure 1.2: Average Monthly Retailer Sales.

If all retailers are taken into account, majority of them sell pens
worth Rs 3000 Rs 5000 & Re 1 Rs 3000 per month. However, the A
Class retailers sell more than Rs 9000 per month. Avg. sales of a B class
retailer range between Rs 7000 Rs 9000 per month. Avg. sales of a C
Class retailer range between Re 1 Rs 5000 shown in Figure 1.3.

Figure 1.4: Market Share for Cello Brands.

MRP

RDS

6.5

3.82

6.5

4.2

6.05

5.4

6.05

10

7.5

4.5

Table 8: Market Share for Cello Brands.

LEXI
Lexi 5 is one of Mumbais highest selling ballpoint pen.
Its MRP is Rs 5/- and RDS rate is Rs 3.4/-.
Figure 1.3: Brand wise Sales Segregation for Various Class of
Retailers.
Findings: Out of the total pens sold Cello & Lexi are the ones that
are sold the most. Cello occupies about 33.7% and Lexi occupies about
28.3% of the total share. The major strength of Cello is its wide
product range & that of Lexi is its pricing. The others that are doing
well are Reynolds, Montex and Flair occupying about 9%, 8% and 6%
respectively. In A Class outlets Parker occupies 3.3% of the share. The
data being in units, this is a substantial pie for a premium brand as
shown in Figure 1.4 and Table 8.
This chart exhibits the sub-brands of Cello that are doing well. The
base is the no. of responses for a particular brand from the total
responses as told by the retailer.
Clearly, Cello Gripper rules the charts across all categories. It is
followed by Cello Maxwriter which is especially doing well in A Class
outlets. Cello Pinpoint and Cello Maxwriter also do considerably well.
Cello Trica is a new launch; it is a bold pen from the house of Cello
which is still in nascent stage.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Lexi range also consists of gel pens, roller pens etc. It can be seen in
Table 9.

Base

Total

A Class

B Class

C Class

152

50

89

Table 9: Statistics of LEXI.

Reynolds 045 is the traditional fine pen from Reynolds. It occupies
an important share of the pie among all other Reynolds brands.
Reynolds 040 is the bold pen and Reynolds Jetter is the upmarket
brand. These three are the major brands from the house of Reynolds
that are working well can be seen in Tables 10 and 11.
REYNOLDS
BRAND

MRP

RDS

REYNOLDS 045

4.9

REYNOLDS 040

3.9

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 7 of 11
REYNOLDS JETTER

16

13

Table 10: Market Share for REYNOLDS.

Base

Total

A Class

B Class

C Class

48

20

22

Table 11: Statistics of REYNOLDS.

Montex occupies 7.26% of the total pie. Within Montex, there are
several brands. Out of these, Montex Hi-Scale is sold the most. It
occupies 58% of the total pie. The other ones that are doing well are
Mercury, Miracle and Hi-Tech.
Within Flair, the brands that are doing well are Sporty, Writometer
and Jackpot occupying 25%, 18% and 31% respectively out of the total
pie.

Figure 1.7: Types of Pens Sold the Most.

Various types of pens are available to consumers; right from roller
pens, fibre tip pens, marker pens, fountain pens, gel pens to ballpoint
pens and many others. However, gel and ballpoint pens are the ones
that are more popular. The above Figure 1.7 shows the details of it.
Gel pens occupy about 44% share and ballpoint pens about 54% of
the total market. The share of ballpoint pens increases as we move
from A Class to C Class. Gel pens being somewhat expensive are
demanded more in A Class outlets.

Figure 1.5: Market Share for Flair Brands r.

Figure 1.8: MRP Wise Classification.

Figure 1.6: Sales Percentage According to the Color of the Ink.

Ballpoint pens are available for various prices depending on the

brand and the quality. One can get a ballpoint pen right from Rs 2 to a
few thousand rupees. However, if we categorize the MRP in four price
ranges as stated above, we can infer that 51.67% of the sales come from
pens that are available for less than Rs 5/-. Rs 5 Rs 10 price range
contributes 33% to the total pie. Majority of pens that are sold in A
Class outlets range between Rs 5 Rs 10. As we move towards C Class,
the share of less than Rs 5 pens keeps on increasing. The above Figure
1.8 shows the details of it.

The two prominent ink colours used by consumers are blue and
black. Out of these blue has a significant share of 75.92% and black has
a share of 23.18%. The other ink colours viz., red, green etc. have a
very negligible share of the market. Thus blue ink colour is a lucrative
segment for a new player. The Figures 1.5 and 1.6 shows the details of
it.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 8 of 11

Figure 1.9: Consumer Classification.

Out of the total ballpoint pen consumers, majority are children
(40%), adults are about 34% and 25% are teens. Further, in residential
areas children form a major part of the consumers, while in
commercial areas adults form a major part. The above Figure 1.9
shows the details of it.
In A Class outlets adults form a majority with 43.5%. As we move
towards C Class, the percentage of adults keeps on falling and that of
children keeps on rising.

Figure 2.1: Brands Supplied to Offices.

Btl Promotions Done by the Companies
Pens are a commodity product for a layman. This segment has very
low involvement. Hence ATL promotion is not very effective. BTL
promotion becomes very important in this segment. Some of the BTL
activities done by the companies are as follows.
Posters
Dispensers
Wobblers
Danglers
Banners
Wall paintings
Dealer boards
Shutter paintings
Flair advertises on the back of notebooks
Uniball has its stalls at inorbit and other malls
Lexi puts up its banners on BEST buses and local trains in
Mumbai.

Figure 2: Office Supplies.

Major Brands Supplied to Offices
Out of the total retailers, only 21% supply to offices and 79% do not.
Moreover, 80% of A Class outlets supply to offices. In B Class it is
38.16% and in C Class it is just 5.7%. Thus, to cater to the office supply
A and B Class should be targeted. The above Figure 2 shows the details
of it.

Figure 2.2: Attributes that Consumers look for in a Pen.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 9 of 11
The retailers were asked to rank the four attributes stated above.
The ranks were an indication of the priority that the customers give to
the attributes while purchasing the pen. Figure 2.2 shows the
Attributes that Consumers look for in a Pen.

Consumer survey analysis

The results brought out the fact that the customers give first rank to
the price of the pen. Thus, the pens MRP is very important and may
be instrumental in deciding its fate. Second rank was given to the
colour of the ink. The consumers are determined to use a particular
ink colour. Third rank was given to the brand name. This shows that
brand loyalty is very less in this category. Finally, fourth rank was
given to the looks of the pen.

Most common trade promotion schemes offered to the

retailers
When purchasing a pen most consumers tell the price range to the
retailer and ask him to show a few models. Now, it all depends on the
retailer as to which pen he pushes. Brand awareness is very low in this
category. Therefore, trade promotion becomes imperative in this
category.

Figure 2.3.1: Consumer Survey Analysis (Top of Mind).

Some prominent trade promotion schemes offered to the retailers

are as follows.
10% schemes: The retailers are given 1 unit of the product free on
10 units. This is called 10% scheme. The retailer can sell these extra
units and add to his profits.
Amusement park passes: The retailers are given free passes for the
amusement parks, clubs etc.
Movie tickets: The retailers are sometimes given free movie tickets
so that the cos. brand is pushed
Quantity purchase schemes (QPS): The retailer gets some gift or
free tour provided he achieves a certain sales target. These schemes are
target oriented. For example, flair had a scheme whereby a retailer
would get an Onida TV if he sells its pens worth Rs15000 in three
months.
Dealer meets: The retailers of a particular area are invited. They
interact with the company officials and they are given a party along
with their family.
Recognition: Some companies give a certificate to prominent
dealers to boost their morale. Eg. Uniball.

Figure 2.3.2: Consumer Survey Analysis (Spontaneous).

The above Figures 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 reveal that the three main brands
that the consumers recall are Cello, Lexi & Reynolds. These three
brands are present in TOM as well as spontaneous. Rotomac too has a
share of 7.2% and 11% in TOM and spontaneous respectively.
Although Rotomac is not the preferred brand when it comes to usage
but there is a considerable brand recall of the brand thanks to the
Likhte Likhte Love Ho Jaye campaign. Another observation is that
Flair and Montex are not very prominent in TOM but they have some
space in consumers mind when it comes to spontaneous.
Ballpoint pens used by consumers
Out of the total, 26% use Lexi 5 mainly because of its price. This is
followed by Cello Gripper that comes at second place. However, in
scholastic and teens Lexis share reduces. The other models that
consumers use the most are Reynolds 045, Cello Maxwriter and Cello
Technogrip. Cello Technogrip is particularly popular in children.
Adults are more price conscious. Figure 2.4 shows Brand Usage by
Various Consumer Categories.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 10 of 11

Figure 2.6: Brand communication recall.

Figure 2.4: Brand Usage by Various Consumer Categories.

Majority of consumers do not remember any communication of the

brand they use. This shows that ATL promotion is not effective this
segment. Impulse purchase is higher. Figure 2.6 shows Brand
communication recall.

Attributes that consumers look for in a pen

Brand involvement
To check the consumer involvement and brand loyalty, consumers
were asked what they would do if their desired brand is not available in
the outlet. The results were as follows.

Figure 2.5: Consumer Brand involvement.

Majority of the consumers said that they would purchase any other
pen at the same retailer. One can infer from this that there is minimal
consumer involvement and least brand loyalty in this category. Brand
loyalty rises as we move from scholastic to adult consumers. Figure 2.5
shows Consumer Brand involvement.
Brand communication recall
To check the effectiveness of the brand communication, consumers
were asked whether they remembered any communication of the pen
they use. The results were as follows.

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

Earlier, we saw what according to the retailers were the important

attributes based on which the consumers buy a pen. Now, let us see
what the consumers feel are the important attributes that influence
their buying decision. Figure 2.7 shows Attributes Influencing
Purchase.

Figure 2.7: Attributes Influencing Purchase.

Conclusion
The findings of this research are aimed at providing a thorough
insight into the stationary market in India which can be used by
various manufacturers/brands rather than establishing a relationship
amongst variables. The data and findings with respect to the consumer
surveys, retailer surveys and expert opinions are tabulated in form of
charts and graphs.
Out of the total pens sold Cello & Lexi are the ones that are sold the
most. Cello occupies about 33.7% and Lexi occupies about 28.3% of
the total share. The major strength of Cello is its wide product range &
that of Lexi is its pricing. The others that are doing well are Reynolds,
Montex and Flair occupying about 9%, 8% and 6% respectively. In A
Class outlets Parker occupies 3.3% of the share. The data being in
units, this is a substantial pie for a premium brand.

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103

Citation:

Oswal S (2014) Industry Analysis of the Stationary Sector in India: A Market Acceptance Study. Bus Eco J 5: 103. doi:

10.4172/2151-6219.1000103

Page 11 of 11
Cello Gripper rules the charts across all categories. It is followed by
Cello Maxwriter which is especially doing well in A Class outlets. Cello
Pinpoint and Cello Maxwriter also do considerably well. Cello Trica is
a new launch; it is a bold pen from the house of Cello which is still in
nascent stage.
The two prominent ink colours used by consumers are blue and
black. Out of these blue has a significant share of 75.92% and black has
a share of 23.18%. The other ink colours viz., red, green etc. have a
very negligible share of the market.
Gel pens occupy about 44% share and ballpoint pens about 54% of
the total market. The share of ballpoint pens increases as we move
from A Class to C Class. Gel pens being somewhat expensive are
demanded more in A Class outlets.
One can get a ballpoint pen right from Rs 2 to a few thousand
rupees. However, if we categorize the MRP in four price ranges as
stated above, we can infer that 51.67% of the sales come from pens that
are available for less than Rs 5/-. Rs 5 Rs 10 price range contributes
33% to the total pie. Majority of pens that are sold in A Class outlets
range between Rs 5 Rs 10. As we move towards C Class, the share of
less than Rs 5 pens keeps on increasing.
Out of the total ballpoint pen consumers, majority are children
(40%), adults are about 34% and 25% are teens. Further, in residential
areas children form a major part of the consumers, while in
commercial areas adults form a major part. In A Class outlets adults
form a majority with 43.5%. As we move towards C Class, the
percentage of adults keeps on falling and that of children keeps on
rising.
The above two charts of brand recall reveal that the three main
brands that the consumers recall are Cello, Lexi & Reynolds. These
three brands are present in TOM as well as spontaneous. Rotomac too
has a share of 7.2% and 11% in TOM and spontaneous respectively.
Although Rotomac is not the preferred brand when it comes to usage

Bus Eco J
ISSN:2151-6219 BEJ, an open access journal

but there is a considerable brand recall of the brand thanks to the

Likhte Likhte Love Ho Jaye campaign.
Majority of consumers do not remember any communication of the
brand they use. This shows that ATL promotion is not effective in this
segment. Impulse purchase is higher.
The findings of the research throw light on how various brands
have garnered their share in a cluttered market, consumers purchase
behavior to marketing stimuli, attributes adopted by marketers to get
their share etc. The findings stress upon the fact that there is enough
acceptance for new players in this market provided they do a correct
Market Mapping. This paper thrives on a massive primary data based
market mapping done for the Indian market.

References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Babu S (2008) Emerging Trends in Stationary Marketing

Del Castello, Ricardo, Maul Braun (2006) Framework for effective brand
communication for pen development Int J Res Commerce, Econ and
Mange, 1: 1-155.
Goswami, Rahul (2009) Making sense of the rush
Iyer, Vidya (2009) Marketing, SIES J Manage, 6:110-114.
Jha M (1999) Rural Marketing: Some Conceptual issue Rural Scan, 2:
120-130.
Kashyap, Predeep, Raut, Siddhartha (2010) The Pen Marketing Book,
2nd edition, USA.
Vishwanathan, Gomathi (2013) Challenges in brand Marketing, 190:
14-20.
CMIE (Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy) report.
Writing instruments manufacturers association journal.
Gifts & accessories magazine.
www.internet-stationers.co.in
www.techno-preneur.net.

Volume 5 Issue 3 1000103